Antonio Conte praises January addition, Chelsea to give 20-year-old chance to shine

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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed that the return of Nathan Ake has left him feeling calmer about the January transfer window.

The young Dutchman was recalled early from his season-long loan spell at Bournemouth, as he impressed under Eddie Howe and will now offer additional depth and quality for the Premier League leaders.

Although Conte has settled on his preferred back three in a 3-4-3 system, Ake’s versatility will allow him to fill a number of roles, and as reported by ESPN FC correspondent Liam Twomey who attended the Chelsea boss’s press conference on Friday, he’s certainly pleased to have him back on board.

Nevertheless, he went on to add that he wouldn’t be thrown straight into the team, as ultimately he has to become familiar with the “idea of football” that he has instilled at the club since his arrival last summer.

Ake will be desperate to avoid being left on the bench for the foreseeable future though, as it will be a major contrast to playing regularly at Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, Ake might not be the only young player at the club to be given a chance as Conte went on to add that Charly Musonda, who has also returned early from a loan spell this month, will be given until the end of January to prove his worth.

The 20-year-old will be desperate to grab the opportunity with both hands having now seen the door open for him at Stamford Bridge, but time will tell as to whether or not he’ll do enough to convince his manager that it would be more beneficial for him to stay in west London rather than be loaned out again.

With a couple of weeks to go in the transfer window, things could still change quickly. However, it sounds as though unless an ideal target presents himself, Conte will be happy with the options at his disposal for the most part with the likes of Ake and Musonda adding depth to the squad.

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